worth watching
The plot revolves around psychological behaviour of muderers where the lead actor think himself in the shoes of the murders and finds them along with their physiological behaviour. The series keeps us in the edge of the seat until the 12th episode. Every episode is filled with thriller, suspense and made me to watch without pressing fast-forward option. You can watch it once.. It's worth watching 😊Was this review helpful to you?
A Thrilling Dive Into the Criminal Mind!
If you love intense crime dramas with a psychological twist, Through the Darkness is a must-watch! This gripping K-drama follows South Korea’s first criminal profiler, Song Ha-young (played brilliantly by Kim Nam-gil), as he dives into the darkest corners of the human mind to catch ruthless serial killers.Expect chills, mind games, and nail-biting suspense as Ha-young and his team decode the patterns of psychopaths before they strike again. But this isn’t just about catching criminals—it’s a deep, emotional journey into the cost of understanding true evil. With stunning performances, eerie cinematography, and real-life crime inspirations, this drama keeps you hooked from start to finish.
⭐ To conclude- Watch it with the lights on… and maybe double-check your locks.
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This review may contain spoilers
They say in order to figure out what goes through a person's mind who do heinous things to other people is to think like them.Wow!!! The screenwriter was so on point about how a criminal mind's behavior works. The uncanny thing about the characters who committed certain crimes all had the characteristics of being a true narcissistic psychopath.
This drama isn't for the faint of heart. It did have A LOT of disturbing scenes in it. You most definitely will have to take a break from watching these episodes. I just dove right in and binged the whole thing. I didn't know it was going to be so intense.
I wonder what went through the actors minds who portrayed the criminals when they decided to take on such a strong role. Having to do retakes of doing and saying disturbing things until the director was satisfied had to have taken a toll on their mind set. If not....
This drama was very dark. It did have specs of comedy in it which I welcomed wholeheartedly but I wish there would've been a little bit more to lighten the mood.
The whole cast represented themselves in a way that always amazes me. I liked the chemistry. It wasn't as strong as I'm use to but it was slightly there.
I'm also glad that this was only a 12 episode series. It could've been less because some of the criminal scenes were really drawn out by being too wordy.
It was good. I got to see a different side from the main male character but as for me....this is something I will not watch again.
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Watch only if you understand what exactly the drama is about
Through the darkness is about the person eho became the first profiler of SK. Its based on his experiences, so if you are here to watch some kind of major plot twist this is not your drama. Feel free to not watch it rather than calling it a boring drama.All the cases, as far as ik were real cases.
And the acting, woahhhh, i mean be it the offenders or the main team all of them did such a good job. You will actually feel that nauseousness when you come across some acts done by the myrderers/rapists.
The drama is a door for you to know how the mind works of a murderer.
THE DRAMA IS PHENOMENAL WITH BRILLIANT ACTING. YOU ARE MISSING OUT ON A GREAT DRAMA JUST BCOS YOU ARE "FAN" OF MAJOR PLOT TWISTS IN A THRILLER DRAMA AND FIND THIS SLOW.
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A realistic deep dive into the process of criminal profiling
"Through the Darkness" is a slow unravelling of the mind - the twisted criminal one and the righteous one. There are few chase scenes to give you thrills and no hidden culprits, instead the narrative delves deep into the criminal profiling scene in South Korea and the hard work that goes into it.The drama portrays all the nitty-gritty details that happen backstage - the long hours of gruelling and repetitive data analysis, hundreds of interviews with convicts, research etc. This kind of job puts a psychological strain on the characters and Kim Nam Gil perfectly portrays the consequences of empathizing too much with killers.
The setting is realistic and feels lived in - the atmosphere of the early 2000s is omnipresent and every shot is devoid of so-called artificial "cleanliness". Every scene is immersive as well as beautifully acted.
The director and writer's approach to the minds of serial killers is outstanding and praise-worthy. At first, the viewers are shown flashbacks of their childhood as well as given the opportunity to understand their motives. Little by little the explanations dry out, the flashbacks disappear, and we learn close to nothing about their family if it isn't relevant to their arrest. "Through the Darkness" takes a relevant stand: in the end, there were victims and the motives of the killers do not matter, their horrible childhoods do not matter, their stories do not matter. They are all the same anyway.
What matters are the people left behind and the drama sticks that landing with Song Ha Young's last interrogation.
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Brilliant Peek into the Role and the Toll of a Profiler
Through the Darkness is an amazing look into the life and cost of a profiler’s life. Grounded and moody, this show is not so much about catching criminals, as to a look into the unglamorous side of profiling. Interviews with the worst, mucking around and diving deep into the minds of the darkest of humanity, and writing reports that one hopes will make a difference, all the while trying not to lose oneself to the abyss that they constantly stare into. There are no big heroic moments, just people doing their best to make through the darkness of each day.Kim Nam Gil gives a subdued but powerful performance as Song Ha Yeong. He imbues Ha Yeong with an earnestness to do right by the victims and the public he wishes to protect along side a steely will that fights against the despair that continually claws at his souls. The rest of the cast brings the same intensity, and everyone just dives into giving quiet but powerful performances.
If you’re looking for a traditional thriller, go elsewhere. But if you are wanting an amazing character study and journey, I highly recommend this show.
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Unsung Heroes
I didn't expect that I would like this drama. At first, it kind of gives you the similar vibes as 'Signal' but as I continue, I was pleasantly surprised with its charms; how it naturally unfolds by giving us a glimpse of crime solving in Korea. How it has evolved and forever changed in criminal profiling, introduced in a classic setting of old age versus new age; Although sometimes it may be seen as a bad cop versus a good cop. The pilot episode was a bit slow and painful to watch to be honest, but believe me it got better as we continue on.I simply love the subtle way of each main and supporting characters is being portrayed, which include the dynamics of the politics in shaping the future of the newly developed Behavioural Analysis Team (BAT). It doesn't discourage you as it pan out, whether to the unit's advantages or the opposite, but I found myself rooting for them to succeed nonetheless. Yes, I care for them. In my book, if a story like this can pull you into their world, immerse in their emotions and struggles, it's a pretty damn satisfying journey to experience. It reminds me so much of the beginning of my most beloved crime show, Criminal Minds.
Story
It's pretty straightforward as most of the cases were based on true events. This is a realistic investigation story that balances well in their logical problem solving with no over-the-top of emotional turmoil. Their approach is subtly layered with the right amount of emotions, just enough to get you to care about the victims without feeling overwhelmed. And you'll keep yourself rooting for the good guys instead of feeling frustrated even when they get stuck in their investigation or fail to meet your expectations of the outcome. This drama affected me in such a good way, the very opposite of the other usual crime investigation angst.
The story revolves from various views; the BAT itself, the criminals, the Special Crime Squad as well as the reporters or public, which I find very intriguing and interesting. The dynamics between each of them contribute mixed feelings of anticipation, frustration, excitement and disgust but in a subtle way which is surprisingly surreal to me. The show kept us grounded, even with the unimaginable grotesque crimes involved, the burden to unravel such horrendous acts was even bigger to fill in. It led us to think, what makes us human?
But what captivates me the most is how we witnessed and came to understand the evolution in profiling, the dynamics within the police forces and the criminal act itself. Both are developed side by side, echoing with our increased anticipation as viewers of the classic battle of good against evil. Again the show delivers us not only the character development, but how they reacted with its ever changing surroundings. Although it focuses more on the criminal side, the important message is that ‘Through the darkness’ of the criminal’s minds, we must not forget the victims and their loved ones who are the true heroes in the whole story. They are the reason as to why the BAT ever formed and profilers can somehow stay sane and cope with their ever so challenging job. This is like a tribute to those real profilers existed out there in the real world.
Cast
Kim Nam Gil is marvelous as So Ha Yong. His demeanour really makes you curious and sympathetic, as to how he reads, dissects, reacts, interprets and comes to understand the criminal minds as he keeps digging and unraveling the truth and reasoning behind each criminal's act, however twisted it may be. OVERALL, the casting is realistically believable. Down to the portrayal of the criminals itself. It will give you goosebumps.
Music
Pretty decent and suits with crime-theme drama.
Rewatchable?
Yes. It's engaging even if you already knew what would happen.
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History of police detection excellent. Not a thriller.
A great dramatisation without being insensitively sensationalist and dramatic about traumatic real world history.Great cast. Very well acted.
Good script, however I see why some were thrown by the pacing and some of the choices. It isn't a thriller nor an action movie. It is a window onto bits of history and the slog work that produced culture change and results to produce a new policing era where profilers became an accepted widely-used investigation essential.
It also reflects (for me) not that wealthy societies produce serial killers but that wealthy societies have the resources, record-keeping, and nurturing of new talent to start noticing patterns that betray the activities of the such killers.
The true crime book it is based on seems not to have been glammed up for the screen, so it lacks the kind of pacing, thrills and character arcs that screenwriters inject by altering the history. Though I'm sure there was a fair amount of tidying and adaptation done (I'm not sure the book it was based on is even available in translation.) Those expecting a thriller or even a police procedural wouldn't find that here.
There was an odd set of editorial lapses in
episodes 6 and 7 with messy chronology so bad that I considered dropping it if they didn't stop. They stopped. The rest of the series didn't suffer from that and the last few episodes were very satisfying.
Possibly my favourite Kim Nam Gil performance because it showed his excellence - consistent restraint and subtlety, in contrast to the many roles where his charm and comedic talents sweep his audience off their feet. Kim So Jin gave a strong, tight performance - I loved the gradual change in the professional relationship without changing the character. Jin Seon Kyu, the ever-watchable Kim Won Hae, Lee Dae Yeon, and engaging Gong Sung Ha form a strong ensemble. I can't fault the acting of any of the main police team, or the cast in the many non-police roles.
Aside from some moments in the first episodes, there is a refreshing lack of sexing-up the crimes, which fits with the ethical consuderations around the investigations. It is far better than Criminal Minds and Mindhunters in those respects but those comparing it with those shows are making a mistake - the tone and much of the story focus is entirely different. Criminal Minds was abandoned by Mandy Patinkin for very sound reasons - serial killing as entertainment disgusted him - I think he'd approve of this show for being more what he thought he was getting into. (I admit I'm guilty of watching many CM seasons because I loved the team .) Mindhunters had a lot more merit and it was certainly interesting seeing some of the same prejuduces against innovation being fought in Korea decades later but the Federal structure, investment, cultural and period differences were an entirely different context. The fight to to develop and show the value of profiling in crime prevention and capturing perpetrators is something this shares with Mindhunter but the details are all so very different.
I have seen some criticisms highlighting that the co-workers don't follow the common show pattern of becoming a close found-family who socialise a lot together. While I accept that as a convention in entertainment media, that isn't what most workers find in their employment. Certainly not in the UK and I suspect not in Korea; there'd be far less loneliness in the world if that was a real norm.
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This review may contain spoilers
An interesting premise, but not that good of a scenario.
*Spoilers ahead*I can start by saying that it took me 3 months to finish this, and it would be enough.
As much as I love me a strong, smart and powerful woman in a man-based drama, the 2 women we've seen in this drama did not stand out to me(as characters). They didn't bring any major change in the plot, which is a bit disappointing. Especially the reporter.
The premise of the drama is very interesting, getting in the mind of a murderer, finding what they think before, during, and after the act. That's what made me finish this drama the most. (plus our kim nam gil which is just chef's kiss). I wish we could've gotten more of this part in the story, Ha Young talking to the killers and getting in their minds, studying their behaviour more, especially on the last one (which was a bit dragged, ngl). And the other profiler, Young Soo, really seemed like he didn't exactly know what he's doing, especially when it came to interrogating the killers, which is strange, cause he formed the team.
Anyways, despite these things, it's a good drama, I'd recommend you watch it. It just doesn't stand out too much, which disappointed me.
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This review may contain spoilers
Brilliant
This a show for a more mature audience, who enjoy a more realistic take on police cases as the cases might take a really long time to solve and the arrest isn't always directly made my the lead characters. The suspense in this show comes from exploring the human mind of murderers and the experiences the ML goes through due to digging into these monsters' minds, not gore or jump-scares.I liked that this show wasn't predictable and cliche like most dramas, the plot overall didn't move in a predictable way like usual, sometimes things might drag on for a long time and seem to build up to a cliched stand-off but unexpectedly, come to an end quickly before that. This seemed really realistic for me, as in real life, things rarely build up suspense layer by layer and come to a dramatic end, sometimes things that last long might come to a very quick and easy end at surprising times.
The time-skips were done very naturally and gave time for the characters and cases to develop in a natural way.
For people like me, who have watched plenty of shows about profiles before, some of the things they pointed about the criminals' psychology might've seemed obvious when they explained them to other police , but it fit very well for the time period the show was based on - profiling was completely new to Korea back then.
The acting was fantastic, both by the main leads and the criminals. For a plot that could've easily seemed boring and flat for many people for the lack of the usual dramatics shown in police shows, the subtle intensity (even for really reserved characters like the ML and FL) in which the actors delivered their lines and scenes kept the show captivating and let the great plot shine.
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This series is uncomfortable and heavy to watch so..
I don't usually leave reviews so bare with me haha. This series is uncomfortable and heavy to watch so this should be a trigger warning. I can't watch it in one sitting because my mind needs a time out by how serious the topics are. Please take care of your mental health! If you need to take a rest then please do so.So, anyways, the acting of every actors and actresses are commendable. That's my most favorite part. Kim Nam Gil's performance is great as always! I also appreciate the performance of the actors playing criminals. Imagine having to read the script, memorize and deliver those lines?...The acting is really good and will made you really hate them.
I also liked the good balance of storytelling from the perspective of anyone involved. Crime shows like this shouldn't be centered around the criminals because that's hella problematic. Like *ehem* "Dahmer" *ehem*. Please excuse me for squeezing this in lol.
Overall, this series is worth watching.
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Very good plot
The plot is the king embellished with great acting by Kim Namgil. The darkness depicted through the cinematography is just too good.The story is inspired from real events so be ready for some chills . Very well paced story and the characters are well written not a single moment of boredom … The acting combined with a unique direction skills make this a treat to watch as it serves the eerie feeling through the screen.It is a gem for people who love crime thrillers …too underrated Trust me and give it a go you will not regret .Was this review helpful to you?
